Lyr Req: Seven Drunken Nights

Subject: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Lidi
Date: 23 Sep 97 - 09:59 AM

Does anyone know the two last verses of Seven Drunken Nights? I know "5 drunken nights" but I also know that there is two more verses to that song, which I haven´t been able to locate in the Digitrad-base....

Any help would be greatly appreciated Cheers Lidi

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 23 Sep 97 - 10:19 AM

Hi Lidi,

these verses have been printed in this forum before you joined us. Set the filter to "drunken" and the time to "365" and you will find it on March 23rd.

Yours Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Wkailey
Date: 23 Sep 97 - 03:12 PM

Lidi, thanks for bringing this up. I'll bet we both have the same Dubliners recording, wherein they allude to the existence of seven drunken nights but disclaim that they "are only allowed to sing five of them." It's nice to meet another (presumed) Dubliners fan! Where are you from and what do you do, if you don't mind my asking? Please list the recordings you have and tell me if you know a currently viable source for Dubliners music? Also, what are the other Irish folk bands whose recordings you like? I would appreciate any recommendations that would help me add to my collection of traditional ballads. Most recordings bought on blind faith turn out to be bitterly disappointing. If you want to reply to me individually, you can reach me via email: [e-mail].

Wolfgang, thanks for the info.

Lidi, please post the missing lyrics back here if you find them. I would like to have them and may not have time to dig them out of the archive! I'll make a quick attempt however and post them here if I find them.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Sep 97 - 03:39 PM

Hi, Wkailey - maybe I'm misunderstanding you. It doesn't take any time at all to get things out of archive here. You can use the "forum search" function on the page that shows the list of threads in the forum; or, easier yet, at the top of the list of threads, enter "drunken" in the filter box and set "365 days" in the box next to it. We kind of try to avoid posting lyrics a number of times, unless there's a need for corrections or the like. Hope that helps.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 23 Sep 97 - 10:04 PM

Thanx Joe. I couldn't have said it any better. Or nearly as graciously.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: alison
Date: 23 Sep 97 - 10:20 PM

Hi

If you like the Dubliners you'd probably like anything by the Clancy Brothers, or Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem. If you like more ballad-y type stuff, head for the Fureys of Foster and Allen. They all do more or less the same type of things.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Lidi
Date: 24 Sep 97 - 09:36 AM

Thanx lads for helping me out, I found what I wanted......

Cheers

Lidi

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Harald
Date: 24 Sep 97 - 10:58 AM

By the way, it´s the same with "Seven Deadly Sins". The Dubliners only sing them as the "Five Deadly Sins" (I wonder what the last two verses are about...)

Greetings, Harald

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 24 Sep 97 - 11:49 AM

Don't you reckon the other two verses were about the other two deadly sins? Seems like a safe bet to me.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From:
Date: 27 Sep 97 - 02:27 AM

There are two ways to sing Seven Drunken Nights. I prefer the slower way but the pub bands seem to go for the faster one. Suppose it fits with the theme of the song . . .

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 21 Mar 06 - 07:27 PM

Seven Drunken Nights

As I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But a saddle on a sow sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
That's a woollen blanket that me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But buttons in a blanket sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Wednesday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns that pipe up on the chair where my old pipe should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
That's a lovely tin whistle that me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But tobacco in a tin whistle sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Thursday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw two boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns them boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
They're two lovely Geranium pots me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But laces in Geranium pots I never saw before

And as I went home on Friday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a head upon the bed where my old head should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns that head upon the bed where my old head should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
That's a baby boy that me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But a baby boy with his whiskers on sure I never saw before

And as I went home on Saturday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw two hands upon her breasts where my old hands should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns them hands upon your breasts where my old hands should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
That's a lovely night gown that me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But fingers in a night gown sure I never saw before


As I went home on Sunday night as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a thing inside her thing where my old thing should be
Well, I called me wife and I said to her: Will you kindly tell to me
Who owns that thing inside your thing where my old thing should be

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk you silly old fool, still you can not see
That's a lovely cucumber me mother sent to me
Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more
But a cucumber growing from two boiled eggs sure I never saw before

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: michaelr
Date: 21 Mar 06 - 09:22 PM

That's an old vibrator that me mother sent to me.

...but bollocks on a vibrator sure I never saw before.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Jim McLean
Date: 22 Mar 06 - 04:48 AM

I was the Dubliners' road manager in the mid sixties when the song was a hit. Many a night after a concert someone would come up and say they knew another couple of verses but the lads only sang 5 for a) keeping the song from being over long and b) adding a bit of mystery.
I wrote Seven Deadly Sins and only made it five verses for the same reasons.
Jim McLean

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Dilligaf
Date: 22 Mar 06 - 06:31 PM

The version printed in this threadis a different one to my husband sings that goes

as I come home on the saturday night,as drunk as drunk could be
I saw a thing in my wifes hand,Where my old thing should be
so I called my wife and I said to her will you kindly tell to me,
whats that thing in you right hand where my old thing should be,

your drunk, your drunk you silly old fool, still you canna see,
thats a lovely rolling pin me mother sent to me,
Well its many a day I,ve traveled a hundred miles or more
But bollocks on a rolling pin I,ve never seen before.

As I came home on the sunday night a little before my time,
and down to the cellar I went, me old twelve bore to find.
what game is this? what game is this? the frightened couple asked,
well this is just me old twelve bore as I shot them up the arse.

Well its many a day I,ve traveled a hundred mile or more,
But I,ve never seen two buggars run as fast as that before

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 22 Mar 06 - 09:03 PM

Where did he get it?

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 04:21 PM

Jim - Must say it's an honour to shake the mouse of the man who wrote Seven Deadly Sins (a title that can now go on the "Songs You Thought Were Trad" list). I used to perform it in pubs all the time, back in the bad old days. The bit of mystery was wasted on me, though; I never did the Math ... Thanks for chiming in here.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 04:26 PM

There are many versions of this song - including one recorded by blues giant Sonny Boy Williamson II (Been all over the world, the Gulf of Mexico,/But [huhn? wha'd he say?], I never did see befo'). Can't recall the title he gave it.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Jim McLean
Date: 23 Mar 06 - 04:41 PM

Thanks, Thurg,
As I've said elsewhere, I've written dozens of songs but not being a singer/songwriter the singers of my songs tend not to give credits and the audience assumes they are the composers or else the song(s) are Trad.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 12:19 AM

Jim - I would think that in a way it would be a great satisfaction for a songwriter to have people assume his songs are trad.; it does indicate a (wonderful) kind of success. On the other hand, I don't suppose that puts money in the bank!

I'm scared to ask what other songs you wrote - I might find you wrote my entire repertoire. You're not the litigious type are you? I'm afraid there wasn't much left after the bar bills were paid ...

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 10:46 AM

thurg,

a girl friend once brought me a tape (made from an LP) with Scottish song sung by Alastair M(a)cDonald. The title was 'Forward with Scotland's past'. Some of the lyrics were difficult to understand for me so I asked over here. Each time the same guy, Jim, answered both with the lyrics and the claim he had written them. After some time I realised he had written all of the songs on that LP. And many more (Jim was so kind to send me an old songbook with his songs).

My personal favourites on that LP/tape are 'Declaration of Arbroath' and the song about John McLean (I don't recollect the exact title right now). A song by Jim you surely know is "Hush, hush, time to be sleeping (Don't cry in your sleep/Smile in your sleep)".

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: JedMarum
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 11:21 AM

This is one of those songs I never intended to learn - for no particular reason, I like it well enough ... but I play a number of pubs and there isn't a night goes by when the song isn't requested a time or two. I've decided I've got to sing it. I've also set myself the task of writing one like it.

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 12:57 PM

Aboout 25 years ago, I was at an Oscar Brand Concert at South Street and I wrote this verse, which has since been attributed to Trad:

The other night when I got home,
As drunk as I could be,
I saw another man in bed,
Where no man ought to be.
I said to my wife, I said unto she:
What's that man in our bed, where no man ought to be?

She said, You old fool, you damn fool,
As you can plainly see, 'tis nothing but a bathtub me mother sent to me.

Many miles have I travelled,
One thousand miles or more,
But such plumbing on a bathtub,
I never saw before.

Enjoy

Subject: RE: Seven Drunken Nights, lyrics?
From: Jim McLean
Date: 24 Mar 06 - 05:23 PM

Thanks Wolfgang,
It didn't think this thread was suitable for me to mention my songs as asked by Thurg although I appreciate his kindness. I wrote so many LPs for Alastair McDonald and Nigel Denver, not forgetting title for the Dubliners, Dominic Behan, Matt McGinn and many other folk artists. I contibuted to Ding Dong Dollar, an LP paid for by Pete Seeger so that it was issued on the Folkways label. I did get a slight kick out of people thinking that some of my songs were Trad. One person, when asked where she heard The Massacre of Glencoe, said she learnt it at school and that Jim McLean was 92 and lived in Canada! I wrote the second half of Burns's Tibby Dunbar and was amused that this slipped through the net.